Collapsible gantry



Sept 7, 1954 R. J. BUsHoNG er Ax. 2,588,411

COLLAPSILE GANTRY v 'Filed lay 5, 1953 3 SheetsSheet 1 M @MMA/.ELL

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Sept 7, 1954 R. J. ausi-:ONG Er AL 2,6883

coLLAPsIBLE GANTRY Filed llay 5, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fuji.

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Sept 7, 1954 R. J. BusHoNG E1' AL COLLAPSIBLE GANTRY 5 Sheets-$heet 3 Filed May 5, 1955 gvwwwtos Rober# d. Bus/rang James L. Moniga/ery @Mw w. Lm

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Patented Sept. 7, 1954 UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE COLLAPS'IBLE Robert J. Bushong and James L. Montgomery, India'napolis;` Ind., assigno'rs to' Insley Manuffacturing Corporation, Indianapolis,l Ind., a corporationY of Indiana Application May 1953, @ferial No. 353,118"

9 Claims. 1

This; invention relates to cranes or. like maeh-ines which are adapted to traveli from placel to place and which may beY equipped with hoist ing".l swinging-- or' excavating mechanism.-

This invention is more specifically concerned Withi such machines which have acollapsible or lowerable' frame or gantry so that the crane or like machu-1el may passi under' an overhead clearance less than the overall heightI of: the gantry when positioned for efficientl operation of ther-ecrans. boom, or when ther crane to be shipped or transported; under its. ownv power.

obi'ect is to?y pn'ivide au cranek with. a high. ity frame or gantry;-wliicn caniberai'sed to amost efficient position or' use or` lowered for transportation purposes by' oper-ation off the boom' after the simple manipulation of fastening de'- vice's and without employmentoff any' outside assistance' or devices.

Other objects ot' the: invention will' her-einiaifterl appeai and.. for purposes of. illustration butnot off' limitation, anembodiment of the iin-f vention isi shown on the: accompanying drawings;

in which-1:

Figure 1l isaside' elevation of al crane showing'- the lowerableor collapsible gantr-y in its raisedi position andiv the par-tsrl position for normal operation o'f the boom and fall blockl;

Figure-2- is an en'd elevation substantially oni the linee-zloff Figure 1;;

Figure 3 i'sai view similar to figiir'e'V 11, but slriowingA the: boom-f in its raised position such as tol enablel tlfieY tube and1` pipe whichvv servesl asv aconnection between the boom and: the" gan'try' t'ob'e xed;preparatory'to-aoollapsing or lowering" off the high#Y gantry; y

Figure 4" is anl elilargedrfragrnentary perspec-A t'ive-l view' sliox'vling particularly the connection'L between theL rear legs and the bracliet-v whichenablesi pivotal"vr movementv efy certain ofv thev l'egs by' removal of pins when the collapsible gantry is'l; weredf;v and Figure 5 is a View sir'nilar` to Figure lf, but; snowing the collapsible gantry* in collapsed' or lowered positioni The illustrated embodiment of theI inventi'o'nr comprises`| ak supporting' platform I0- whichl is mountedr on a turntable II carried by a truck` 211 mounting to the' brackets I4',1 as will be'I rl-ia'dilyV understood by those skilled in this art.

Mounted on the platformv IiIl` is an upright stationary support having a pair of laterally spaced upright rear legsY I6 which, as shown of Figure 2.,- havef anv intermediately arranged x brace" Ii'I for rigidifying the structure. The lower' ends of the legs I'6= are suitably secured to the platform structure I0 by fasteners I8. At the upper ends of. the legs I6 's a transversely arranged shaft |59 carrying sheaves 20,` a pair being arranged at' each end of the shaft and a cable guard 2ar overhan'ging each pair of sheaves as shown. Incllning downwardly andA forwardly from the shaft I9i adjacent opposite ends thereof are brace rods. 2 I?, which arev connected at their lower ends to leg supporting platesl 22 respectively;y

The lower ends of the' legs 2liu have extensions which are disposed betweeny the leg supporting plates, a pair of such plates being associated with`v eachi ot the leg` extensions, and pins 23 and 24' secure the leg extensions to the plates 22 and also? serve` asf a connecting means between the assembly' and. the adjacent bracket I4'. Integral with' each: off the plates 22 is an: upwardly andi rearwardly inclined? extension 25y and fitting be'- tweenz each.l pair of extensions 2'5" is a front' le'gV 28.; ai pin 26x extending through the adjacent extensions 25t and the respective legi 28, providing ay pivot for the associated leg 28a The upper' end of each of the legs 28 is pivot` ed toi a pin 2S. Also pivotally Inoun-tedi on the pinss 2:9A are rods 30i which telescope into sleeves 5H: The outer ends ofy the sleeves 31 are' connested to'l brackets 32` fixed. to the boom l5. Thus eachi side" of the boom', I5@ is:` conneoted through a telescoping sleeve and rod tol the pin 29 In eachi rod 3U' adjacent its inner' end is aw hole 30a and' adaoent the inner` end ofr the telescoping sleevel is: af holey 3 Ila; and these two holes may be brought; into registration-i to allowa pin 3M (Figure 3? tof bel` inserted so' as to secure these parte against free telescoping movement during! the lowering: andi raising: of. the upperv orco1'- lapsible gantry asl will' hereinafter' appear',-

Mou'nted' on:` the' lower' or. stationary' AY traine' v isf an upper' collapsible or' lower-able gantry v'vl'noh has: a pair of: laterally: spaced rear. legs 332. 'rifle legs Searebraoed by an x1 frame sii and oni theupperi endsA` of the! legs` 33S isi a transverse shaft 35' oni' wliicliV are mounted sheavesI 36 arranged in pairs? at' opposite en'dsi Over each pair of sneer/'es` isf disposeciy cable'- guioe 35a; Piva otally' inounted on:` the shaft 35:- adjac'ent each end thereof is a relatively short arm 31 andi the lower end of each arm is normally held to the adjacent leg 33 by a pin 38, which is removable when the upper gantry is lowered, as will hereinafter appear. Inclining downwardly and forwardly from each end portion of the shaft 35 iS a front leg 39, which has at its lower end a mounting plate or bracket 4|), which is pivotally mounted on a transverse pin 29. To brace the parts, an arm 4I is pivotally mounted on each end of the shaft I9 and is connected by a removable pin 42 to the bracket plate 40. When the pin 42 is removed, the arm 4| can swing downwardly and rest on top of the leg 2|, as indicated on Figure '3.

The boom I5 is raised by a hoist cable 43, which extends from a power operated winch 44 on the platform I about sheaves 36, a sheave assembly 48 and a sheave block 45. The block 45 is connected by a cable 41 to the outer end of the boom I5. Manifestly, operation of the winch in one direction or the other effects a raising or lowering of the boom, as will be readily understood.

Suspended from a sheave 59 on the outer end of the boom I by a cable 49 is a fall block 48, the cable 49 extending to a power operated winch 5I mounted on the platform I0. It will be understood that other objects or devices may be attached to the boom, such as a drag line bucket and the like.

In order to lower the upper A frame from the position shown in Figure l to that shown in Figure 5, the boom I5 is raised substantially to the position shown in Figure 3, so that the holes 3Ia and 39a in the telescoping tubes 3| and rods 39 are in registration so that the pins 390 can be inserted into these holes. It is then necessary to remove the pins 38 which enable the arms 31 to hang free on the shaft 35. Thereupon the pins 42 are removed so that the arms 4| swing downwardly and rest upon the legs 2|. The upper A frame is now capable of being lowered, and this is accomplished by lowering the boom I5.

It will be thus understood that the collapsible A frame or gantry is lowered under control of and by the boom as the latter swings downwardly with the articulated arms 28 and 39 rocking forwardly. After the A frame has been lowered, the pins 38 are employed to secure the arms 31 by insertion in the same holes in lthe plate extensions 25. Thus the collapsible A frame is now held in its iixed lowered position and the pin 30|] may be removed to enable relative movement of the telescoping members 30 and 3| so that the boom can, if desired, be lowered to the ground. The boom can be carried by the A frame in its lowered position for traveling purposes.

In order to raise the upper or collapsible A frame or gantry, the pins 300 are iirst inserted in the boom backstops. Then the pins 38 are removed from the arms 31. Thereafter, by raising the boom I5, the upper A frame is accordingly raised by the rearward pushing movement eiected by the boom backstops (the telescoping members 30 and 3|). After the A frame has been raised to the desired position, the pins 42 are applied to connect the arms 4| to the bracket plates 49 by inserting same in the aligned holes in the arms 4I and the plates 40. Finally, the pins 38 should be inserted through the registering holes in the arms 31 and 33. By removing the pin 300 from the telescoping backstop parts 39 and 3| so that the boom backstop is free to move along with the boom, the machine is ready for operation.

An important feature of the above structure resides in the provision of a collapsible or lowerable A frame or gantry which is raised or lowered by the boom without the addition of cables or outside connection. Manifestly, nothing is added or removed in the above assembly except pins which can be quickly and conveniently applied or removed as the need arises.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be elected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. In a crane, a boom mounted for up and down swinging movement, a high A frame, including pivotally mounted legs, and a pair of vertically disposed articulated arms, a connection between the jointure of the said arms and said boom, and hoist means for controlling the raising and lowering of said boom, whereby said A frame may be raised or lowered by raising and lowering of said boom.

2. In a crane, a boom mounted for up and down swinging movements, a gantry including a stationary structure and a member mounted on the stationary structure for movement thereon from an elevated position to a lower position, a pair of articulated arms pivoted respectively to the upper end of said member and to said stationary structure, rigid means for releasably retaining said arms against movement, and means providing a connection between the jointure of said arms and said boom for enabling said member to be raised or lowered by raising and lowering movements of said boom upon release of said retaining means.

3. In a crane, a boom mounted for up and down swinging movements, a gantry including a stationary structure and a member mounted on the stationary structure for movement thereon from an elevated position to a lower position, sheaved means on the upper end of said member, boom hoist means including a cable passing over said sheaved means and connected to said boom, a pair of articulated arms pivoted respectively to the upper end of said member and to said stationary structure, rigid means for releasably retaining said arms against movement, and means providing a connection between the jointure of said arms and said boom for enabling said member to be raised or lowered by raising and lowering movements of said boom upon release of said retaining means.

4. In a crane, as claimed in claim 3, in which the connection between the articulated arms and the boom, comprises a pair of telescoping rigid members, and means for securing said member to prevent telescoping movement thereof during raising and lowering of said gantry member.

5. In a crane, as claimed in claim 4 in which said rigid retaining means comprises an arm pivoted at one end to said stationary structure, and a releasable connection between the opposite end of said arm and the juncture of said articu-r lated arms. l

6. In a crane, a boom mounted for up and down swinging movements, a gantry including a stationary structure and a member mounted on the stationary structure for movement thereon from an elevated position to a lower position, a pair of articulated arms pivoted respectively to the upper end of said member and to said stationary structure, rigid means for releasably retaining said arms against movement, means providing a' connection between the jointure of said arms and said boom for enabling said member to be raised or lowered by raising and lowering movements of said boom upon release of said retaining means, and means to retain said member in lowered position when the boom is similarly in lowered position.

7. In a crane as claimed in claim 6, in which said retaining means comprises arm means adapted to assume the position of the lowermost of the articulated arms when the latter are outwardly extended upon lowering of the boom, and fastener means for rigidly connecting the lower end of said arm means.

8. In a crane, a boom mounted for up and down swinging movements, a gantry including a stationary structure and a member mounted on the stationary structure for movement thereon from an elevated position to a lower position, a pair of articulated arms pivoted respectively to the upper end of said member and to said stationary structure, pivoted arm means extending from said stationary structure to the jointure of said articulated arms, removable pin means for connecting said last arm means to said jointure, telescoping boom stop means between said boom and the jointure of said articulated arms, means to secure said boom stop against telescoping movement, and pivoted arm means associated with said rst member, whereby upon removing said pin means and securing said boom stop and lowering the boom, said first member is lowered and the articulated arms outwardly extended, and thereupon by securing said last pivoted arm means, the gantry is secured in the lowered position.

9. In a crane as claimed in claim 8, in which the stationary structure comprises a rigid A-frame having front and rear leg members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Jacoby Feb. 27, 1940 Number 

